Down a dark path
by ptarn
Summary: AU, starts at the end of "The Doctor's Daughter". One different decision sets the Doctor off down a dark path. His Time Lord nature exerts itself. Can he overcome his darker side or will he give in and become the true Bringer of Darkness?
1. The First Step

**Author's Note:** I liked the Tenth Doctor. Even though the Eleventh is kinda nice as well, I just loved the character that David Tennant portrayed, sometimes showing a bit of the darker side of the Doctor. Which brings me to this piece of fan fiction. There is a scene in the episode "The Doctor's Daughter" where that dark side surfaces for a moment, but the Doctor reigns it in eventually. I liked seeing that dark side, so I started thinking about a 'what if?'. The result is this story. It is kind of complete, but can be elaborated on if I so desire and if people like it. I hope you enjoy "Down a dark path".

* * *

**The First Step**

As the terraforming gases swirl above their heads, the Doctor, Martha, Jenny, the Hath and the humans look up in awe. Both parties have laid down their weapons. Everyone watches the spectacle, everyone but General Cobb. Cobb grimaces as he looks at the Doctor. _He destroyed it. He destroyed everything!_ Hatred makes him bring up his gun and point it at the head of the smiling Time Lord_. I will not stand for this!_ He fires.

Just seconds before the bullet leaves the muzzle Jenny turns her head. She sees Cobb's intentions and doesn't hesitate. She jumps in front of the man who hours before was just a name, but has become so much more.

"NO!"

The bullet hits her square in the chest and she collapses into her astonished father's arms. The soldiers hold down Cobb and take away his gun, but it's too little, too late. _Is this what it feels like to die? It hurts, but I feel okay. I... I feel okay. I saved him. I saved him!_ She looks up at her father and sees an unimaginable sorrow. _Is that all... for me? He's lonely, so lonely... I wish I could stay, dad. I wish I could._

"Jenny? Jenny! Talk to me, Jenny!"

_No, nonononono, this can't happen, not now, not now that I... She can't die, she can't! Please, please don't leave me, don't leave me!_ The Doctor sits down carefully and takes Jenny into his lap. Martha checks her pulse and the wound. _She's gonna be alright, please, she has to be alright!_ Donna bends down a bit and asks the question that he's afraid to ask.

"Is she gonna be alright?"

He knows. Even before Martha moves, he knows. His former companion looks up at Donna and ever so slighty shakes her head. _No, please, no... Not this. Not this again. I can't bear it, I won't! I don't want to be alone again!_ His daughter, his beautiful Jenny, who he's only known for such a short time, looks at him and whispers something.

"A new world. It's beautiful."

"Jenny? Be strong, now. You need to hold on, d'you hear me? We've got things to do, you and me. Hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose."

She smiles.

"That sounds good."

"You're my daughter and we've only just got started. You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?"

She closes her eyes and breathes her last breath. _No, no, NO! Don't go!_ His faces contorts with despair as he holds her tight and kisses her forehead. Suddenly he realizes something: _She IS my daughter! She has two hearts, she's at least part Time Lord! She could... Could she?_ He looks up at Martha with tears half-formed in his eyes.

"Two hearts. Two hearts, she's like me. If we wait... If we just wait..."

The expression on her face tells him all he needs to know. Still, he waits for her to say it, to make it real.

"There's no sign, Doctor. There is no regeneration. She's like you, but... Maybe not enough."

The cold, hard truth smashes through his sorrow and despair. It blasts past his enormous ability to feel compassion, to understand other beings and give them a choice. Finally it comes to a stop when it hits his deepest inner being, the darkest part of his soul, which he purposefully stowed away a long time ago after he saw what his brethren were capable of. Right there, the truth of Martha's words hits a small core of cold, unbending steel that lies at the heart of a true Time Lord. This is why civilizations feared the Gallifreyans. This is why the Doctor's truly fallen enemies never rise up to challenge him again. It is the Time Lord's wrath. It is the Doctor's wrath. It is the most unforgiving and unrelenting force in the whole known universe. And once awakened it will never rest until it is fulfilled.

The Doctor's eyes darken. He remembers all the times that he had to let go, that he had to accept one more loss. He feels the pain of every time he had to let a companion go, of every time he came too late or had to sacrifice someone for the greater good. All those lives, all that potential, gone. And now his daughter is dead. The daughter he'd just come to know. Just when he thought he'd never have that, have a family, feel that particular kind of love again. Taken from him. Stolen from him. He'd sworn never to kill. To always have a choice. To always give a choice. But now... It seems so futile, to cling to that one notion. _No. It is not enough. Everything gets taken from me. Everyone and everything gets taken from me and I never get anything in return. It's not fair. It's not fair! And it's not fair that they get to live while everyone I've known and loved dies!_

"No. Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much... Like me."

The Doctor gently puts Jenny to the ground and kisses her one last time. _My daughter. My beautiful, amazing daughter. Find peace._ Before anyone understands what happens, he gets up, walks to Cobb and picks up the gun that the soldiers took from his daughter's killer. Cold fury burns away his despair as he points the gun at Cobb's head. Cobb looks up at his would-be executor. His face shows no emotion, but the Doctors reads the man before him like a book. What he sees, shocks him at first.

He sees possibilities. He sees the endless possibilities that almost every member of the human race possesses. The ability to do good or evil. To show compassion or to show no mercy. To kill out of love, out of spite, out of sorrow, out of hate. The Doctor sees it all. But Cobb's book mostly shows him selfishness, an almost bottomless pit of selfrighteousness, an unwavering belief in his own ideas about how the world should work. For all its potential, for all the Martha's and Donna's and Rose's he's encountered over the years, there will be hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands more people like Cobb. And humanity's future appears even bleaker than he ever expected. _That simply will not do._ Now he understands. _There's only one person with the power to change it all._ _Me._

"You killed her. You killed her in cold blood! You wanted to kill me, because I helped you. Helped you! Blind, arrogant, selfish idiots! All of you. Why did I ever think I could change that? Why did I ever feel I could change you by being an example? What did I get out of it? Nothing! Nothing but the knowledge that I will lose everything every time and there's no amount of time travel or mercy to remedy that!"

He grits his teeth and grips the gun tighter.

"I showed mercy. I had compassion. I gave you a choice. And not once, not ONCE did I get a thank you or a show of appreciation. Not once! Ungrateful, that's what you are. All of you! All I have to show for it is a TARDIS with a broken cameleon circuit and a string of companions I've known and lost. And now you've taken my daughter. My daughter! Took her from me before I even got to know her, to show her the universe, to... To hold her, see her grow up, like I could never see..."

Tears roll down his face.

"I could never see them grow up. I lost them. I lost so much. And I'm alone. Always alone. Even my worst enemy would rather die than get stuck with me for eternity. So... I'm done. I don't wanna play by the rules anymore. What rules are there, anyway? I'm the last of the Time Lords now. There's never gonna be another like me. I rule time and space. I make the choices now. It's my time. Time to get what I want."

He pulls the trigger. The sound of the gunshot echoes in the silence. A gasp escapes Martha's mouth before she can clasp her hand over it. Donna just stands and looks at the Doctor, shocked beyond words. Cobb's body slowly falls to the ground, his lifeless eyes still staring at the Doctor. The Doctor lowers the gun. He doesn't feel anger or despair or joy or grief anymore. Only cold, hard logic remains. Logic, and a purpose. The purpose to not only set things right, but to set them right according to his own plans, his own needs. As he turns around and faces his former companions, he doesn't feel how a single sliver of darkness rises up from his long-ago imprisoned Time Lord essence and reaches out for his soul. All he can think about is how beautiful this new universe will be. He can't help but smile at his next thought. _And it will be MY universe._


	2. Taking care of business

**Author's Note:** I had no intention whatsoever of expanding on this story, because I felt I'd written all I wanted to write in the first chapter. But then part of this scene started nagging me and I couldn't resist. First I wanted to make a new story, but then I though 'why not add it to this one?'. So, there you have it, a second chapter about the Doctor's descent into darkness. He's already taken the first step that will lead him down a dark path. What will happen next?

* * *

**Taking care of business**

_Oh, this feels good. This feels absolutely, deliciously good! I feel more alive than I've felt in a long time._ The Doctor pilots the TARDIS through space without any effort. _It even feels as if I'm more in control, of myself, of the TARDIS, of, of everything! _A broad, manic grin appears on his face. _Why didn't I think of this before? Why did I shy away from taking matters into my own hands? _He lifts his hands to his face and looks at them as if he's never seen them before._ My fate. The fate of the universe. I control it. I control everything!_

Ever since returning both Martha and Donna to their respective homes the Doctor has been considering the consquences of his actions. Losing Jenny had hurt at the time, no doubt about it, but the feeling of power, of freedom, he'd felt when he'd chosen to end Cobb's life had been exhilirating. Martha had been more than happy to go home after watching that. During the voyage to Earth there had been moments that the Doctor'd looked at her and she'd been on the verge of saying something_. _She never did.

_But she knew. Oh yes, she knew something was different. That I was different. But she didn't dare to ask. Better to wash your hands of innocence. To ignore it. But Donna… _Donna had hurt him almost as much as losing Jenny had done. _She knew as well. Difference is, she didn't shut up about it. She made it really clear. She knew and she didn't want to leave me. Said she had to make sure I was alright. _For a moment he loses his composure. A heavy sigh escapes him as he leans on the TARDIS's console. His shoulders stiffen as he remembers what happened after they'd dropped off Martha.

* * *

"Oi, don't you turn your back on me, Space Man! Don't you ignore me, don't your dare! I saw it. I saw you. You changed. You changed after shooting him."

He ignores her, or at least tries to. _How could I ever have liked that about her? The incessant whining, the yelling, those stupid nicknames. And especially the not-shutting-the-hell-up!_ He walks past her, adjusting dials, tweaking instruments, making the TARDIS run ever smoother. When he turns around to pull a lever he bumps into her. She grabs his arms and forces him to look her in the eyes.

"Stop it, just stop it! Talk to me, Doctor. Say something. You've been avoiding me this whole time. And I saw the way you looked at Martha. At me. You were afraid we'd say something. You're afraid to hear it. But I'm not. You know that. I'm not afraid of you or the Sontarans or anything! I'm your mate. You said so yourself. So stop what you're doing and just, just listen to me."

After Donna's done the Doctor can't help but smirk. Donna's eyes widen and in contrast to what she just said he can see how the beginning of true fear hides just beneath her rough exterior. He looks down at her with a hard look in his eyes.

"Fine. You want me to listen? I'll listen. And after you're done, I'll get to speak my mind. So, start talking."

His answer seemingly startles her and she almost lets go of him. _Hmm. So you didn't expect that, did you? I wonder what you thought was gonna happen. I'll find out soon enough._ After a few seconds she recovers, tightens her grip and takes a deep breath before looking at him again. _My, my, you aren't fearless, but you are courageous. I might've underestimated you after all._

"Okay then. Look, I know what happened to Jenny was awful. More than awful, even. I can't imagine what that must've felt like for you. But you, you're better than that. Better than petty revenge. Better than taking someone's life. You didn't even give him a choice! You just, just walked up to him and spouted all that nonsense about how life's not fair and then you SHOT HIM! Shot him, just like that, in cold blood. Without even thinking twice. You shot him, get that? You killed that man, took his life. And after you were done, you smiled. You SMILED! Smiled at us as if nothing'd happened! How could you? How could you do that, Doctor? How COULD YOU?"

Donna squeezes his arms to emphasize her words. Her eyes fill with tears and she wants to say something else, but she can't. She stares at the floor instead. _Oh please. Trying to appeal to my humane side with this sham? Get a grip. _However, even if the Doctor feels Donna's words and conduct are useless, he waits for her to get herself together before answering. Finally Donna straightens up and lets go of him. She takes a step back, wipes away her tears and sits down on the pilot's chair.

"Finished?" the Doctor asks.

The demeaning tone in his voice makes Donna give him a dirty look. When she opens her mouth, he raises his hand.

"Please, don't. Just shut up and let me have my say. I let you have yours, didn't I?"

He sees how she clenches her hands, but she nods.

"Good. Now, you listen to me and listen well. I know life's not fair. If anything the nine hundred plus years I've been alive have taught me that. And until Jenny's death I took everything the universe threw at me, sometimes even bending over backwards to refrain from doing what I did on Messaline: To take revenge. To go beyond defending myself or someone else, to go further than simply retaliate. You see, that's not enough. I know that now. There have been times when I stood on the verge of taking revenge, of wiping people off the face of the galaxy, but every time I stood at that crossroads someone stopped me. I got even. That's all I ever did. And I gave people a choice. Even my worst enemies, I gave them a choice. They never took it. But that didn't stop me from giving it. And it never worked. Look at the Daleks. Look at Davros. Look at The Family. Look at every single person or race that every crossed my path and wanted to harm either me or the people around me. I gave them a choice. I granted them mercy. And they threw it right back in my face. They spat on my mercy. Worse than that, they came back to make me suffer. To make the people I loved suffer. Do you know what that feels like? Do you have any idea what it feels like to know that they'll be back and that they'll try to hurt and maim and kill everyone you ever knew and loved, just to spite you? Do you know what that feels like? DO YOU?"  
The sound of his voice rises to thunderous levels. Donna cringes as he walks up to her, covering her ears in vain. This time it's the Doctor who grabs hold of her arms and forces them down, forces his soon-to-be former companion to meet his furious gaze.

"You don't. None of you do. Not one of you fully understands who I feel, what I've been through. The deaths I've witnessed, the horrors, all at the hands of enemies who won't shun any means to bring me to my knees. To see me suffer. And Jenny's death was the last drop. No more. I'm the last of my kind. The Last of the Time Lords. And I say: No more. No more deaths through inaction. No more choices. No more mercy. I will take my revenge and I will make them suffer. I will build a better future. And no one will stop me, least of all _you_."

Without warning the Doctor grabs Donna's head in an iron grip.

"Doctor, stop it! Let me go!"

She pulls at his hands, but he's stronger. This time the fear in her eyes shines clear as day. _Ah, there it is. That's how you really feel about me. You fear me. All of you fear me at some level even if you don't want to admit it._

"I'm sorry, Donna, I'm so sorry, but I can't let you go. Not like this. Not with you knowing so much about me. You might try to stop me. Perhaps even contact Martha and Jack and mobilize them to stop me. I can't let you do that."

His words send her into a panic. She tries to pull her head out of his grip, but it's no use. He forces her to look at him and he gives her a sad smile.

"But you were right about one thing, Donna Noble. You were my mate. You were one of my best friends. And because of that I won't kill you. That was never my intention anyway. But I do have to take away your memories of me, of our adventures. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but there is no other way."

His voice softens and he kisses her forehead. A feeling of guilt starts to rise within him, but he pushes his away. It has to be done. My final gift to her.

"Goodbye, Donna Noble."

"No, no, Doctor, please, no, don't take it from me, please! I won't tell, I won't do anything, please, don't take it away!"

Her heart-felt please fall on deaf ears. The Doctor focuses his thoughts on Donna's mind. Through the telepathic link he shares with all his companions he dives into her mind and obliterates every single shred of memory that links to him in some way or another, all the way back to the moment she first arrived the TARDIS. He can feel how much it hurts her, but he doesn't relent and takes away everything, in the process destroying part of the woman Donna had become as a result of their adventures together. _I have to do it. I have to!_

When he's done he pulls back, leaving behind a devastated thoughtscape in Donna's head. He knows it will take a long while for her to recuperate from what he just did. As he releases her head a surge of pain shoots through his body. He feels a wave of darkness burst forth from the Time Lord part of him that he locked away so many centuries ago. _What, what's happening? It like something's ripping me apart from the inside, it's like-_

"Aaaaahhh!"

He screams as the darkness grabs hold of his soul and washes away the lingering guilt. The pain causes him to fall to his knees, then he loses control of his entire body. The cold logic and the sense of purpose he briefly felt after killing Cobb overtake him. As he trashes around on the ground a black haze briefly darkens his eyes. Suddenly his muscles relax. The black haze disappears, but not completely. His brown irises have gone black.

Slowly the Doctor sits up, checking himself. _No bruises. No wounds. And I feel, I feel fine actually. Everything feels so clear. My thoughts, they work at a much higher speed, more smoothly. And I-_

Right that moment the unconscious Donna slides off the chair. Without thinking the Doctor stands up and catches her, moving much faster than before. _How did I do that?_ To answer his question a wave of facts floods his brain. _Normal Time Lord physiology?_ But why have I never- Another wave of facts washes over him. _Chrono-Disjointed Syndrome? That, that actually explains it, yes. And to think that all these years I chose to lock it all away. I feel better than I've ever felt!_

The Doctor doesn't even notice that it's the absence of something that causes him to feel this way. True Time Lords don't feel remorse or sorrow or grief and if something were to cause them emotional pain they would simply go back in time and fix it. It's a far cry from the way the Time Lords were at the beginning of time, when they were a race of benevolent people whose only concern was to help other beings. And it's even sadder to think the Doctor himself was the one who decreed his own race as 'unworthy' and locked them away from the rest of the universe, along with all the abominations of the Time War.

Ten minutes later the Doctor carries Donna to her family's doorstep. He carefully lays her on the porch and walks back to the TARDIS. When he's almost back inside he turns around and points his sonic screwdriver at the doorbell. Without waiting to see if the door opens he goes inside, closing the TARDIS behind him. Even with his new-found clarity of mind and the darkness within him that contains his emotions his sight starts to blur as he pilots the TARDIS away from Earth.

"Goodbye, Donna Noble," he whispers softly.

Donna's face haunts him all the way to Midnight. _She would love it here,_ he thinks when he checks in by using his psychic paper. But after being faced with the ugliest side of humanity on a trip to the Sapphire Waterfall across the surface of the planet, during which he throws the possessed woman outside to avoid the others discovering his alien nature, his Time Lord nature takes back another piece of his soul. After that he doesn't think about Donna anymore, nor about any other of his former companions.

* * *

Until now. He slams his fist on the console, denting it considerably.

"Dammit! Why did you have to go off on me like that? Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut! Damn you, you could've stayed with me. Maybe even learn to see things my way, to accept the truth. My truth! I could've let you keep your memories, not be forced to take them from you. I don't even know if you came out alright…"

For a moment there's no stopping the sadness that overwhelms him. And for ever so brief a moment it looks as if the old Doctor's returning, the compassionate Doctor, the one who'd save the universe in a heartbeat to preserve life, the one who'd always give someone a choice, the Doctor, the hero, the saviour of humanity. That man, that magnificent, brilliant man who experienced more grief than anyone could ever imagine, but who always had another spot in his hearts to welcome yet again a new friend, resurfaces. Moments of sorrow, but also of joy, of happiness assail his still fragile, newly formed Time Lord consciousness.

_What's happened to me? What have I become? Arrogant, self-centered, vengeful… How did I come to be this way?_ His mind immediately provides him with the answer_. Time Lord. Time Lord nature. My nature. The one I've kept locked away for all those hundreds of years. I'm becoming the thing I despise. But how? Why? When did it- _The gun goes off. Cobb falls to the ground, dead. Lifeless eyes staring at him accusingly. _No. No! I refuse to believe that. One decision, it was just one decision! That one time that I-_ Donna pleads with him to stop, to not take her memories away. He pays her no heed. _Oh, come on, that wasn't-_ Sky, being sucked out the airlock into the Xtonic radiation_. But, that was-_ Hartigan screams in agony as she withers away after a blast from the Doctor's weapon. _I, I didn't mean-_ A lone Sontaran, begging for mercy when the Doctor confronts him with what Staal wanted to do to Earth_. Oh no, nononono, I'm not, I'm-_ The base on Mars, exploding after he rigged the core to stop the strange creatures from hijacking the space ship while he walks back to the TARDIS_. I'm a monster. What have I become?_

"What have I become?" he asks in desperation.

His body starts to convulse as the Doctor fights to take back control. His Time Lord essence fights back, hard. Wave after wave of pain shoots through his brain. Shadowy tendrils manifest both inside his mind and outside of his body, attacking him on every level_. Stay back, stay away! I won't let you win! I am my own master!_ His knees buckle. He drops to the floor as he focuses all his energy on driving out the darkness.

The battle rages on for hours, exhausting the Doctor more and more_. I, I can't, I can't keep this up. But I must! I can't give in, I have to, have to fight, have to take back, take back control!_ He draws on every ounce of power he has, musters all the strength he has left for one final assault.

"Get out, get away, I don't need you! I ORDER YOU TO LEAVE ME!"

The force of the Doctor's command shreds the darkness that surrounds him, blasts away the black cocoon that was on the verge of encasing his mind. The dark haze that clouded his eyes disappear, revealing his regular brown irises again. The feeling of power, of wanting to triumph and not care about the costs, the clarity of mind, all of it fades away. All he can feel is silence.

_I'm, I'm me again. I'm me again! Oh, I feel as if, as if… As if a dark cloud has been lifted from me. Literally. I can feel… I can feel!_ That's when the pain of his muscles seeps through. Oh, damn, I can feel again. Very carefully he tries to lift his right hand. His arm trembles but he succeeds. _First things first, let's just get up and see if I can find something to eat. I'm starving._ Slowly the Doctor manages to sit up without becoming dizzy. Just when he's about to stand up, something twitches in the back of his mind.

"Oh no, no, no, I beat you, I beat myself, I won, I won," he whispers, dreading what's to come.

The twitch grows in intensity. All too soon it changes and takes on texture. Tendrils start to sneak out and wrap themselves around the Doctor's thoughts, while other tendrils grab hold of his soul again, corrupting it from within. His mind's eye shows him that what he fears the most is happening: The darkness is coming back.

"No, I won, I beat you, I won, I won…"

Tears stream down his face. He knows he simply doesn't have enough strength left to fight again. _So, this is it? After all the enemies I faced my own nature gets the better of me? In the end the only person who defeats me is… me. The irony of it all. I don't deserve this. I deserve better than this!_ His body goes rigid as the Doctor's dark side first purges him of unnecessary emotions. His irises turn black again. The lust for power, the need to triumph, the clarity of mind, together with the calculating, cold view of the universe inherent to the modern Time Lords, return with a vengeance. The Doctor feels how his morals and principles aren't just taken from him, but perverted, twisted into a sick version of them. _I don't want to become that, I don't want to be like that person, I don't, I don't…_

"I don't wanna go," he says, his voice barely audible, not even to himself.

His whole body relaxes and his head slumps forward. Everything goes silent for a few seconds. Then the Doctor's head snaps up.

"That was extremely tiring. Let's not do that again, hm?"

He stands up, dusts off his suit and gives himself a once-over. Looking good. No discernible damage. Now, let's see, where was I? A quick glance at the TARDIS's monitor reminds him of what he was about to do.

"Ah, yes. UNIT. Time to pay them a visit. I daresay it's been long overdue."


	3. Making a List

**Author's Note:** Pff, I hit a lot of bumps while writing this chapter, especially in the middle. I had the ending in my head already, the beginning went smoothly as well, but the middle... Sheesh! I hope the next chapter comes a bit quicker. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Making a list**

With the TARDIS in a geosynchronous orbit around Earth the Doctor gets ready for his visit to the English UNIT's headquarters, situated under the Tower of London. _Let's see, let's see, where did I leave that suit? Ah, there it is!_ He takes the brown pin-striped suit out of his closet and quickly changes into it. _Now, let's see how I look. Oh, that's better than I'd expected._ When he looks in the large mirror he's satisfied to see that he very much resembles his old self again. _Except for the eyes. But, I have just the thing to correct that._

After rummaging through a few drawers he pulls out a pair of dark sunglasses. After walking back to the mirror he puts them on. His eyes are completely concealed. _Alright, now it's perfect! And since Martha's no longer part of UNIT I won't have to worry about her seeing through my disguise._ _Heh, my disguise: Dressing up as myself. Ironic, really, if you think about it. Which I do._

Satisfied with his 'new' look he leaves his bedroom and sets off for the TARDIS's console. A few hours ago he'd inserted his sonic screwdriver into the modification outlet and programmed some very interesting new features into it. As soon as he enters the central chamber he gets a first glimpse of his new and improved screwdriver. He grabs hold of it and after turning it over a few times a malicious smile spreads across his face. _It's magnificent! My new laser screwdriver, ready for work, courtesy of the Master. Hah! Take that, you arrogant bastard!_

The next ten minutes the Doctor tests every new feature of this last incarnation of his faithful tool. Smoking scorch marks, a destroyed pilot's chair and hideously twisted metal beams are silent victims of the efficiency of his laser screwdriver. _Better, much better than expected._ He pockets the laser and takes places behind one of the TARDIS's monitors. After adjusting some dials he has a very clear view of the interior of UNIT's base. _Yes, there's the right spot to park this thing._ Behind his sunglasses a dangerous glint appears briefly in his eyes.

"Allons-y!" he yells and grins maniacally.

The TARDIS materializes right in the middle of UNIT's central hall. Alarms go off immediately and everyone clears the area, except for one squad of soldiers that seemingly appears out of nowhere. They surround the TARDIS quietly and efficiently, aiming their guns at the intruder. _Seems like security has increased around here. Good for them! Too bad it won't save them from me._ He puts on his long, brown coat, checks to see if his screwdriver's still in his pocket and then walks to the door. _Time for the show to begin._

He opens the door and steps outside, showing the waiting soldiers his most endearing smile.

"Hello there. Glad to see aliens can't just come barging in here without alerting anyone."

The soldiers don't move a muscle. _Oeh, professional. I like that._

"State your name and your intent," one of them, probably the squad leader, asks firmly.

"My, aren't we the cheery one. Alright, you got me."

The Doctor raises his hands in the air. _Idiots._

"I'm the Doctor and I'm here on very urgent business. So, take me to your leader, please?"

The squad leader turns around and has a short conversation with someone. When he's done he turns around and gives the Doctor a respectful look, then extends his hand. The Doctor takes his hand without hesitation and shakes it briefly, all the while reminding himself to just keep smiling_._

"Pleasure to meet you, Doctor. Name's sergeant Oliver. You are now cleared to enter our facility. Me and my men will escort you down. Colonel Magambo is waiting for you."

_Ah, it's colonel Magambo now? Seems our previous encounter yielded you some steps up on the ranking ladder. Interesting.__ Not that it changes anything._

"Lead the way, sergeant. I can't wait to see colonel Magambo again."

* * *

A short ride down in the elevator later the Doctor enters Magambo's office. The sergeant dismisses his squad, opens the door and follows the Doctor in. Erissa Magambo beams when she sees him. She stands up, walks over to him and shakes his hand. _Keep smiling, just keep smiling!_

"Well Doctor, I have to say that this is a pleasant surprise, even though I'm afraid you are not here on pleasant business. Please, take a seat. You too, sergeant. Would the both of you like a cup of tea?"

The sergeant gives her a slight nod before the Doctor answers.

"I'd like that, thanks. And might I add it's my pleasure to see you again. And you got promoted as well?"

Magambo orders three cups of tea through her intercom before she continues.

"Indeed. Even though you and the professor did most of the work, I got a promotion for my efforts as well. Did you know the professor is now head of his own department?"

With the experience of ten lifetimes of small talk the Doctor eases into the conversation, spouting out the appropriate nonsense while a large part of his mind is occupied with a last run-down of all the steps in his plan. Another part of him is absolutely stunned by how easy everything's going. _I know humans aren't the brightest bulbs in the universe, but are they really this stupid? I just waltz in here, state my name and the next thing I know I'm taken right down into the belly of the beast. And she hasn't even asked me about my sunglasses. It's, it's absolutely ridiculous how amazingly retarded they actually are. _When Magambo starts to tell him about her husband and children he decides that enough is enough and interrupts her.

"You know, colonel, as much as I'd _love_ to sit here, sip tea and hear about your family," the Doctor can barely supress his sarcasm, "you were right when you said I'm not here for the fun of it."

_Well, I am, but it's not the kind of fun you'd consider fun,_ flashes through his mind.

"I've recently received a disturbing message through the Time Vortex about a possible attack on Earth through UNIT. Unfortunately, the message had already deteriorated beyond even the TARDIS's capability of reconstructing it, so I couldn't replay it to make sure I'd understood correctly. But the fragments were clear enough to alarm me, so I set off immediately for Earth to contact you."

Right away both the sergeant and the colonel slid into their professional stances.

"That's not good news, Doctor," Magambo states gravely.

"I know it's not and I'm sorry to drop this into your lap like this, but there is one part of that message that was crystal clear. The attack will take place on this day in about one hour."

"One hour? ONE HOUR? Why didn't you say so when you came into my office! We could've started preparing for it already! Sergeant, call your men, I want-"

"Please, colonel, give me some credit. I'm the Doctor! I wouldn't have come here without a plan. And it so happens my plan needs less time to implement than it would take your men to even start to get ready to try and stop something they can't stop. I, however, can."

The Doctor is pleased to see the way his tone of voice and words affect the two humans. Magambo calms down considerably and the sergeants relaxes a little. _So easy. Human minds are so easy to manipulate._

"So, what can you do to stop this from happening? And what is 'this' exactly?"

"'This', as you so adequately put it, is a radio-wave based lifeform that resides within the cosmic background radiation and searches the universe for civilizations who, for lack of a better description, make a lot of noise. Ever since the start of your twentieth century humans have been making more than just 'a lot of noise'. You've practically been screaming your heads off, announcing your presence to almost every single malevolent lifeform out there. Why'd you think there has been such a major increase alien attacks these last hundred years? You might as well have painted a big ol' bulls-eye on the face of the planet with the words 'come kill us, pretty, pretty please'."

The colonel doesn't look pleased when she hears this, but the Doctor can see she can't say anything to prove him otherwise. Good. Perhaps this will make you realize that what's coming next is your own damn fault.

"Okay, alright, you have a point. But what are you going to do about it?"

Faint traces of panic start to seep into Magambo's voice. _Starting to get scared already? You ain't seen nothing yet, I can assure you._

"Look, I can't change the fact that you've been broadcasting your presence to the stars for over a hundred years. What I can do, is start with programming certain safeguards into your mainframe, so you can spread them throughout your world wide network and at least cloak part of your broadcast. Then, after both you and I are sure it helped, I can work with you on devising your own versions of this technology. I've told this to your predecessors on numerous occassions, but they never listened. Will you listen? Will you let me help you?"

The look in Magambo's eyes says it all_. Yes, you will, won't you? You'll take my help. And If I hadn't offered it, you'd forced me to help. It's what people like you always do. Or try to._

"Doctor, if you can stop this, this viral lifeform I'd be more than willing to listen to you. Is there anything else we must know or can we take you to the Vault so you can implement the safeguards?"

"No, that was it, really. You can take me to the Vault now. I assume that's where your mainframe's based? And don't worry, we have more than enough time left."

For the first time since the Doctor entered the base Magambo gives him a curious look. _Do I sense a twinge of doubt? No matter, it will all be over soon._ She leaves the room with the Doctor on her heels, followed by the sergeant. They take a high-security elevator to reach the mainframe. Every time the Doctor watches the human fumble with their so-called advanced technology he has to suppress the urge to start laughing like a madman. _So clumsy. If I didn't enjoy leading them on like this I could've broken into their precious base without anyone even noticing it. But where would be the fun in that?_

Finally, after what feels like forever to the Doctor, they pass through the heavily reinforced safety doors that lead them into the Vault. _Well now, I have to admit that I'm actually a little impressed._ To his surprise UNIT's mainframe consists of state-of-the-art quantum computers, able to compute virtually endless possibilities in as much time as it takes a human to formulate a even one thought. _I didn't know they had developed quantum-computing technology already. It might be prudent to inspect these machines after I'm done with my work. Who knows? I could even learn something from them!_ He can't supress a derisive snort, which makes Magambo give him another look. _Damn, that woman is more observant than I thought. Too bad it's already too late, Magambo dearest._

Behind them the doors close as a safety precaution, leaving only the Doctor, Magambo and the sergeant in the Vault. The Doctor whips out his laser screwdriver, points it at the nearest server tower and releases both of his specially designed viruses.

"There, it is done," he states while turning around to face the two humans, just in time to see them pulling away from each other.

_Ah, conspiring behind my back, are we?_ he thinks, noticing how the sergeant's behaviour has changed ever so slightly. So, what have you decided?

"_That_ was all it took?"

The incredulity in Magambo's voice almost makes him want to yell at her that yes, _that_ was all it took because he _is_ a frigging _Time Lord_ after all and yes, his technology is _way_ beyond that of humans and oh, by the way, that he is _superior_ to them in every way, but instead all he says is:

"Yep. Easy as pie. Now, shall we go to Central Operations to see if it worked?"

The quick look that's shared between the sergeant and the colonel tells him to expect to be arrested as soon as he does something out of the ordinary. _I've already done it, idiots!_

"Of course, _sir_. If you would follow the colonel?"

_Oh, that was unprofessional, sergeant. Tsk, tsk._ The Doctor follows after Magambo, amused to see that this time the sergeant walks behind him. The rest of the squad boxes him in smoothly, which almost makes him chuckle. Surrounded by soldiers the three make their way back up to Central Operations. All the while the Doctor can hardly restrain himself from bouncing up and down in anticipation. _It's going to be truly amazing, I can hardly wait!_

The whole entourage leaves the elevator and crosses a short hallway before entering Central Operations, all tucked away behind another set of heavily reinforced security doors. The big screen shows a digital image of the surface of Earth, while several smaller screens to both sides display information on active agents, possible threats and, much to the Doctor's amusement, what seems to be a running track record of his own exploits throughout the centuries. _Oh, I like that, I like that a lot. Really nice touch._

Magambo and sergeant Oliver stand to his sides. The squad takes up positions all around him. His expression hardens. _Alright, that's enough of that._

"Colonel, let's dispense with the charade, shall we? I don't know where or how, but at some point in the last fifteen minutes I either did or said something that made you doubt my intentions. Enlighten me: What was it?"

The coldness in his voice startles Magambo visibly, but she corrects herself quickly. When she looks him in the eyes, he no longer sees the pleasant woman who was talking to a man she believed was a friend, but a seasoned soldier.

"From what I've both read, heard and experienced about you, you've never been a man who just sits back and takes his time with things. Even when there's time to spare, and in most of your cases there wasn't, you never stop, not until the danger's passed. You run, Doctor. It's what you do. You run around the universe and try to make it just that bit safer. Or should I say: That's what you used to do?"

This time the Doctor laughs heartily, which startles not only the people around him, but everyone in the room. The techs, the communications people, the administrators, everyone looks up at the Doctor. Some of them let out gasps of surprise, others keep their surprise well-hidden. But when the Doctor surveys the room after he's done laughing, he also sees something else, something that delights him to no end. Fear.

"Oh, I have to applaud you for that. I'd never even have guessed what gave me away in the first place. I take it that my barely suppressed chuckle didn't really help my case either, then?"

Her grave nod confirms his suspicion.

"Right. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to watch that a bit better next time. I'm sure people at the other UNIT bases are less observant than you, colonel."

Now she raises an eyebrow at this statement. _Oh please._

"Doctor, I don't know what your plan is and I don't know why you came here and why you put up this charade, but surely you must understand we will not allow you to leave this base?"

Right that moment all the screens turn blank and an alarm goes off throughout the base. The other people in the room start to move towards the exit immediately, only to find it deadlocked. Within seconds of this discovery panic starts to spread through the crowd, which only fuels the Doctor's elation and a big, slightly crazy-looking grin appears on his face. When Magambo tries to contact other parts of the base and gets no response, she shoots him a very angry look.

"What have you _done_?"

He laughs again, even throwing his head back for extra effect.

"Did you really think I would've let you lead me in here, surrounded by soldiers, if I didn't already have executed my plan?"

With a theatrical gesture he takes off his sunglasses, revealing his black eyes and fixes Magambo with a cold, hard stare. The colonel's eyes widen in fear and she takes an involuntarily step back. The Doctor reacts immediately, moves forward and grabs her by the throat before any of the soldiers can react.

"You pathetic little insects," he hisses, casually pointing his laser screwdriver over his shoulder and disabling the soldiers' guns.

"Honestly, I can't understand why I ever bothered to try and save any of you. Move closer and I'll snap her neck faster than you can blink."

Sergeant Oliver, who'd been trying to sneak up on the Doctor, relents and takes a step back.

"That's a good little monkey. Now, as I was saying… Are you feeling alright, colonel? Perhaps a bit lightheaded? A heavy feeling in your limbs? Irritated eyes, or throat maybe? How about you, sergeant? Feeling a bit… under the weather?"

It's as if the Doctor's words trigger the described symptoms. Throughout the room people start to stumble, cough and moan. He feels how Magambo's strength leaves her and let her fall to the ground. He turns around, looking gleefully at how every last one of the humans in the room sinks to their knees, then slumps to the floor. _Beautiful, just… Beautiful._

Behind him Magambo's breathing becomes labored, so he turns back again and kneels down beside her. She tries to speak, but the spiking fever makes her shudder so badly she can hardly draw breath. She looks at him, her eyes pleading. Not to be saved, the Doctor sees she feels she's too far gone for that, but for answers. _Why?_ her eyes say. _Why did you do this?_

"Ssshh, don't try to speak, it'll all be over soon," he says soothingly while stroking her hair.

"You were already dead as soon as I walked into the Vault. You see, I released two viruses at that time: One to reprogram your computers, another one specifically designed to kill humans. I disabled your communications and locked the entire base to avoid both people and my virus from getting out. I wouldn't want to alert the other bases now, would I?"

The Doctor caresses her cheek like a lover, his fingers getting coated in her cold sweat.

"This was just a test run and a near-perfect one at that. My other visits will go even smoother. Oh, and don't count on anyone finding out what happened here. After I leave I'll detonate a precisely tailored, contained explosion, effectively erasing the entire complex from the face of the Earth."

He raises his hand to his face, slowly licking her sweat from his fingers, savoring the taste. For a moment he closes his eyes, a content smile on his face. When he opens them again, Magambo is dead. _Pity. Oh well._

As he stands up, a hand suddenly grasps his leg. The Doctor looks down to see sergeant Oliver clinging to him, sweating profusely like Magambo. However, instead of fear the sergeant looks at his killer without a trace a fear in his eyes. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, then manages to speak.

"M-murderer," he hisses in much the same tone as the Doctor did before, but panting like he's just run a marathon, "monster. Beast. Y-you," he swallows, "you deserve… the names… you were… given. T-they were… right… you know. Ev-every one… of your… enemies… they were… riiiight…"

With a last exhale the sergeant dies, his hand around the Doctor's ankle, a look of defiance on his face. The Doctor pulls himself free from the dead man's grip without any effort, looking at the sergeant in disgust. He pushes a button on his screwdriver, calling his TARDIS to him. As the TARDIS starts to appear, its wheezing, groaning sound filling the silent room, the Doctor's face brightens.

"Well, I enjoyed our little chat, but I have to go. People to kill, bases to destroy and all that. Allons-y!"

He snaps his fingers to open the doors and steps inside. After a few seconds the TARDIS starts to disappear again, leaving behind the corpses of people who did nothing more than trust the man who they thought had come to save them.

* * *

Over the next few hours each and every one of the remaining UNIT base first ceases to transmit, then ceases to exist entirely. It takes until the next day for news of this horrendous act to reach Torchwood through a trusted contact. The message, aimed at Jack Harkness, is both cryptic and short and after receiving it, not even Toshiko can re-establish communications with the contact. They fear the worst.

As Jack sits in his office and re-reads the message he keeps wondering what on Earth could destroy the whole of UNIT this silently and efficiently. Every site has been methodically erased from the Earth, taking a massive amount of dead civilians with it, so there's not much to go on there. And the message itself doesn't yield many clues either, but every time he reads it he can barely suppress a cold shiver from running down his spine.

_Jack,_

_He is c__oming. Run while you still can._

_Felix_

Felix had been one of his most trusted spies, so Jack had taken the warning seriously and put the whole of Torchwood on permanent emergency status immediately after reading this. Now all they can do is wait for things to come and wonder about one question: Who, or what, was this mysterious He?


End file.
